#michael stackpole

[oldschoolfrp]

Intrepid hero: "My cat-like senses guide my first step into the impenetrable gloom, across the threshold of the Sewers of Oblivion!"

Goblin: "This joker walked right past me without noticing."

(Liz Danforth cover for Tunnels & Trolls Solo adventure #13 by Michael Stackpole, Flying Buffalo, 1980)

[holonetwork]

[legends-expo]

Photos by Thor Parker / Bekah Marie Photo

We had such a great time with all of you a year ago today in Burbank, CA! We'll be back in the Los Angeles area in 2025 for another convention celebrating the Expanded Universe!

[jadecrusades]

Star Wars Customizable Card Game promotional and play cards. “Reflections II: Expanding the Galaxy.” January, 2001.

Decipher’s Reflections II: Expanding the Galaxy series brought a handful of Expanded Universe characters to life including Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Talon Karrde, Corran Horn, Mirax Terrik, Dash Rendar, Prince Xizor, and Guri. Decipher also created an exclusive 5”x7” Promotional Oversized “Signature” Card depicting Mara, Talon Karrde, and Corran Horn for the summer ‘01 convention circuit. Model Shannon (Baksa) McRandle portrayed Mara Jade, while Timothy Zahn was made up to depict Talon Karrde, and Michael Stackpole was costumed to resemble Corran Horn. Stackpole had these memories to share on his blog:

The stuff done in a photostudio is really magic. At first glance, the guys they got for Corran and Karrde were right, in general. Good on the overall dimensions, hair color, eye color, etc., but they were just guys off the street. Then the hair and makeup folks went to work. Karrde got a wig and a full makeup job, which sharpened his features and totally changed him. By the end of the process - during which Tim's camera was clicking almost incessantly - I was believing the guy was Talon Karrde.

Once Karrde was made up and costumed, he was taken onto the photostage and lit. That's a fascinating process. If they put a yellow filter on a light, the light is considered "hot." A blue filter makes it "cold." The art director, photographer and photographer's assistant all discussed and debated, pulling lights this way and that, setting them up at angles, getting the model to look here or there. Then they took test Polaroid shots and digital shots and finally agreed that things were right. It was almost anticlimactic when the shooting got done, but the results were great. Talon Karrde lived.

Shannon Baksa actually did Corran's makeup, then he got lit and shot. One of my concerns had been that the model was a bit older than Corran would have been at that point, but the makeup and lighting slashed 15 years off him. And the models, they put up with a lot. At one point, while folks were off debating how Corran should be lit, the guy who had done Karrde's makeup commented that Corran was just sitting there rock-still. Corran said, "I'd move, but I'm afraid they'd have to re-light me."

[tinierpurplefishes]

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, but those who remember it sometimes turn to it for inspiration.

- Victor Steiner-Davion

[jedidryad]

WIP: Meeting new people

One of the complexities of Lightsabers Are Always Loaded is that Mara has a lot of people to meet over the 18 months or so covered by the story. Here she meets Iella Wessiri at a tough moment for both of them. 

“You understand why I am suspicious of your sudden appearance at the bridge.” Wessiri declared, no question in her tone.

I agreed that I understood but I offered no elaboration. What was I going to say after all? I was following a funny feeling in my stomach that there was somewhere I should be? That would go over well with an intelligence officer - which is what I was pretty sure she was.  This was the person outside of the fringe Mirax had mentioned needing to meet. That she’d been on the bridge and knew where Mirax was staying meant she was more than just a distant business connection.

“I get that you don’t trust me, but Booster does, and you’re about to fall over.” I pointed out.

“Mara’s okay, Iella,” Mirax broke in in a ragged whisper, voice thick with unshed tears, “She’s Luke Skywalker approved.”

Wessiri stepped back and contemplated me again for a moment.

“Luke Skywalker’s judgement calls might be the primary cause of all digestive issues faced by the NRI.” she muttered, shaking her head.

“Karrde could probably get them a good deal on antacids.” I replied, doing a terrible job hiding the smile that threatened at her concise evaluation of Skywalker.

“Talon Karrde too, I see.” she mumbled nodding, “I’ll tell Cracken.”

[reyturnofbensolo]

My dude finally got laid! 🤣 I think that’s where the Jedi fundamentally got it wrong. Attachment isn’t always a bad thing. I mean look at Anakin and Padme. They had to be all secret about their marriage and it fucked up the entire galaxy!

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

vote YES if you have finished the entire book.

vote NO if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[bornitereads]

Isard's Revenge - Michael A. Stackpole

Star Wars: X-Wing Book 8

Read: Jul 2024

Another entry for the X-Wing novels, Rogue Squadron is back in action. Set in the aftermath of Thrawn's campaign against the New Republic, we find everyone's favourite director of Imperial Intelligence is still alive. And once again the Rogues are caught in her web.

This was a lesser entry in the series for me. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. I think it was just the plot, because I did enjoy getting back together with some of my favourite characters. There were some presumed character deaths that should have been actual deaths in my opinion. Sometimes Star Wars writers are too afraid to kill off characters, especially if they're "good guys." I especially liked the end with Mirax and Iella though, that was so juicy haha. I think in the end nothing happened, like net zero gain for the timeline, just a small adventure that doesn't matter to the bigger picture.

Info: Bantam Spectra; 1999

[oldschoolfrp]

The blind zombies in the sewers are alert to the sound of intruders (Liz Danforth from Sewers of Oblivion, Solo Dungeon Adventure No 13 by Michael Stackpole for Tunnels & Trolls, Flying Buffalo, 1980)

[holonetwork]

George Lucas and the Hand of Thrawn Duology Part of a series I’ve put together focusing on the history of the EU. Sources: Timothy Zahn (1, 2, 3, Celebration III panel), Michael Stackpole (1, 2, 3), Drew Struzan (1), & Barbara Hambly (1). The information in this infographic was also corroborated by Lucasfilm editor Sue Rostoni (1).

[legends-expo]

A year ago today was such a blast with all of you in Burbank, CA! We'll be back in the Los Angeles area in 2025 for another convention celebrating the Expanded Universe!

Photos by Thor Parker / Bekah Marie Photo

[mapas-fantasticos]

Map of the world from the DragonCrown War Cycle by Michael A. Stackpole.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

You Have My Attention: X-Wing Series First Lines

In the many, many series that comprise the Star Wars EU (the Legends Canon since Disney decanonized it in 2014), the X-Wing series is an interesting case because it is fairly cleanly bifurcated between two X-wing squadrons and two authors, and yet the series as a whole--and the characters who cross over between authors--feel remarkably consistent. That's a feat in and of itself, as anyone who has read over the shift from Robert Jordan to Brandon Sanderson in the Wheel of Time can attest.

My clear preference is for Aaron Allston's writing style and the Wrait Squadron missions, but I know readers who dearly love Stackploe's Rogue Squadron as well. So let's take a look at how these authors grab readers with their first lines!

"You're good, Corran, but you're no Luke Skywalker."

-- Rogue Squadron

"Even before his X-wing's sensors had time to scan and identify the new ship, Corran Horn knew he was in trouble."

-- Wedge's Gamble

"Commander Wedge Antilles would have preferred the ceremony to be private."

-- The Krytos Trap

"Somehow the dead of night amplified the lightsaber's hiss, allowing it to fill the room."

-- The Bacta War

"Twelve X-wing snubfighters roared down into the atmosphere."

-- Wraith Squadron

"He made no pretense at being fully human."

-- Iron Fist

"Naval Lieutenant Jart Eyan looked rested and cheerful."

-- Solo Command

"Sithspawn! When his X-wing reverted to realspace before the countdown timer had reached zero, Corran Horn knew Thrawn had somehow managed to outguess the New Republic yet one more time."

-- Isard's Revenge

"She was beautiful and fragile and he could not count the number of times he had told her he loved her."

-- Starfighters of Adumar

"Imperial Admiral Kosh Teradoc paused, irritated and self-conscious, just outside the entryway into the club."

-- Mercy Kill

[missmultifandommess]

Oh, hoho yeah!

Oh, ho ho YEAH!

MWAHAHA!

*SCREAMS*

Context

[klysanderelias]

like y'know gundam is known for being so blatant about 'war is bad' and 'child soldiers is a war crime' but you have to hand it to them, they definitely at least made that stance clear even when they were selling you the gundam in every iteration to put on your desk

like yes, this is a nightmare machine that eats children, but it's fuckin' sick

and I think if I were charitable enough to try and draw a through line across all the novels and games, battletech is a story about how having the right parents or genes makes you provably undeniably better than everyone else, and the most important part of war is about how nice it is to win and have everyone clap for you and have the hot girl finally admit she's always loved you

even the harebrained schemes battletech game, which is the best piece of battletech media I've come across period, still basically says 'well the royal family deserves the throne and the greatest good you can do is to put the divine ruler back in power so that she can rule us benevolently'